


Acceptance

by Sinisteredgirl



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Gen, musings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinisteredgirl/pseuds/Sinisteredgirl
Summary: Under his last sunset, Luke realizes the blessing of borrowed time.





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> A quick and short musing of mine, written while listening to this particular track by Arcade Fire (from the movie Her by Spike Jonze): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oFOf-LDbz4. 
> 
> Also inspired by the documentary "Unattended Death" by SBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abcv2DLbfQ8. 
> 
> As usual, Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco-Bandai.

As he glanced at the most breathtaking sunset he’s ever seen, Luke wonders briefly if it’s beautiful because it’ll be the last one he’ll ever see. _No_ , he decided, _it’s always been beautiful_. It’s just that death lets you see things a little clearer.

The clock is ticking to his doom, and he knows it. The battle has drained away what little strength he had left—he could now barely clench his fingers around the sword—and his body feels… _nothing_. Almost air. His fonons are disintegrating fast. He is bound to disappear soon.

So be it.

Luke breathes in deeply, savoring the feeling of air rushing to his lungs. For the longest time since the Tower of Rem, since after Doctor Shu pronounced his death sentence, he’s been imagining this, in various ways and in all possible scenarios—the moment of his death. A morbid thing to imagine, but when the ‘ _when_ ’ of death is certain, the only thing left to one’s imagination is the ‘ _how_ ’.   _Will it hurt? Will it be swift? Will there be nothing left?_

He had been so afraid.

…and he still is. It’s always there, lingering within the dark corners of his heart. But at the sight of the pouring sunset, and with the reassurance that his friends are safe—that the world is safe, his heart is infinitely calm.

A part of him had always wondered whether perishing at the Tower of Rem was preferable than the aftermath—alive, but on borrowed time. Always in anticipation of death.

But now, nearing his own demise, he finally understands the blessing of the borrowed time— _it gave him time to prepare_. To make sure there are no loose ends. To go without regrets. And, perhaps, to leave something behind.

It gave him time to come into terms with his own approaching end.

Luke smiles, without any trace of bitterness or resentment. The handle of the Key is cold and its weight heavy. He accepts it— _accepts this_ —and whispers to the embers of the sky the same sincere words he wrote on his diary.

 _Thank you all for everything_.

He plunges the sword to the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> Out of all the Luke character "arcs", my most relished one will always be the post-Tower of Rem. Not a popular one, and certainly not the subject of the many wonderful essays on Luke, but I love it personally because I love exploring the Human encounter with Death. Maybe you've noticed this too with my other Abyss fics (lol). .


End file.
